In recent years, video display devices (such as digital televisions) have increasingly become multifunctional and highly-sophisticated, and become capable of being provided with various kinds of audio and visual (AV) functions. For example, in addition to the viewing, recording and reproducing functions of television broadcast programs, it becomes possible to realize various other AV functions including: a function to store content such as video images and music in an internal/external large-capacity recording medium, and to read and reproduce the content; and a function to reproduce video images or music programs provided over a network.
In some of the video display devices involving such various functions, as one kind of user interface function, a menu screen displaying a list of various functions is displayed to require the user to select a desired function.
Meanwhile, as a technique for improving the user friendliness of such a user interface function, there exists a technique for changing shapes/display colors of icons, a technique for assigning functions to a direct key or a plurality of keys, or the like.
In a video display device that can have various functions such as the above described various AV functions, a user interface function is required so that a user can easily select a desired function from the various functions, through a simple operation.
In a video display device with more functions and higher performance, a large number of direct keys need to be provided to the remote controller that operates the video display device from a distance. Further, operation of the remote controller also becomes complicated. However, if the direct keys are eliminated, users who are used to the conventional direct key operations need to relearn how to use the remote controller from the beginning, and extra time and energy will be required.